Saffery advises The Offside Line on securing follow-on EIS status to support growth

Saffery has advised The Offside Line, Scotland’s leading independent rugby media platform, on securing follow-on Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) status as the business prepared to scale its operations and attract further investment.

About The Offside Line

Founded by David Barnes, with Elaine Hamilton joining as co-owner and managing director in November 2023, The Offside Line combines high-quality editorial with a subscription-led revenue model and a growing advertiser base. Having demonstrated strong commercial traction, the business required specialist tax advice to support its next phase of growth.

To fund its continued expansion, The Offside Line needed to obtain follow-on EIS status. This involved navigating complex HMRC qualification rules and ensuring that robust compliance processes were in place to meet ongoing obligations to existing and prospective investors. Given the importance of EIS to the company’s investment strategy, accuracy and clarity were critical.

This work reflects our wider commitment to supporting ambitious growth-stage businesses, including our role as headline sponsor of the Growing Business Awards 2026.

How Saffery helped

Saffery’s Edinburgh team provided end-to-end specialist tax support, beginning with an assessment of the company’s eligibility for follow-on EIS. The team advised on structuring the application to ensure alignment with HMRC requirements and supported the founders throughout the approval process.

Following the successful application, Saffery continued to advise on ongoing EIS compliance, including investor documentation, reporting obligations and process management. The team worked closely with management to translate technical tax legislation into clear, practical guidance.

Sean McGinness, National Tax partner and Head of Saffery’s Edinburgh office, commented:

“We have supported The Offside Line since 2024 as the business has grown and evolved, and securing follow-on EIS was an important step in supporting its next phase of development. Our role was to provide clear, practical advice and ongoing support through what is a complex area, ensuring the founders and their investors could move forward with confidence.”

The outcome

The Offside Line successfully secured follow-on EIS status, enabling it to attract further investment and progress its scale-up plans. On support from Saffery, The Offside Line Co-Founders, David Barnes and Elaine Hamilton, commented:

“Securing follow-on EIS status was a critical milestone in The Offside Line’s scale-up journey and not a straightforward one. Saffery provided exactly the level of expertise and ongoing support we needed. From the initial advisory work to guide us through the application process, to the subsequent compliance advice that gave our investors’ confidence, their involvement was instrumental. They didn’t just advise, they stayed engaged and made sure we understood every step.

“For any growth-stage business looking to raise investment under EIS, we would recommend Saffery without hesitation. Their knowledge of this space is excellent, and their commitment to getting the outcome right for our business and our investors was evident throughout.”

For more information about The Offside Line, visit theoffsideline.com